SINGING and smiles is the motto of a regional choir with a twist.

North Wales Rock Choir, with groups based in Llangollen, Wrexham, Mold and Colwyn Bay, offers an opportunity for singers of all abilities to have fun and socialise while belting out tunes from all eras.

Video and images by Beth Hughes

With no auditions, and no requirement to read music, the contemporary choir is growing from strength to strength. Dozens of singers from across the county travel to Mold every Tuesday to rehearse at St Mary's Church for a few hours, and enjoy a refreshment and chat afterwards.

Rebecca Broadbere, who works at Rock Choir, stumbled into conducting the Mold group and has never looked back.

She said: "I was going to do Rock Choir in Weston Supermare, and it came about that North Wales didn't have a Rock Choir, so I came here. The four North Wales groups often get together and sing as one - we sang at Wrexham Singing Festival on Saturday and had a big group sing along.

"It's open to anyone, not just ladies - people don't realise it's for men too. We'd really like to see some more male voices in our Mold choir.

"You don't even have to be musical, everyone just has so much fun and the idea is to get out there in the community and do lots of events."

Singer Pauline Roberts, of Deeside, travels weekly to Mold to rehearse with around 40 of her choir friends.

She said: "It's absolutely great. Singing makes you feel so much better and after you just feel uplifted. It's a really good way to chat and socialise too."

New starters don't even have to sing, said Rebecca, and are welcome to sit on the sidelines and watch the way the choir works.

Their repertoire ranges from 80s music, classical jazz, pop, and of course, rock.

Health and well-being are huge factors that are promoted in Rock Choir, and members of the Mold choir claimed the weekly singing has changed their lives for the better.

Rebecca explained that Rock Choir is a national organisation of around 28,000 members at the moment. Last month, around 10,000 members of Rock Choir from around the UK performed a 'flash mob' at BBC Proms in the Park, at Hyde Park in London.

Following the "amazing experience," Rebecca and other Rock Choir conductors aim to push the organisation to an even higher note.

Success is no stranger to the UK wide Rock Choir, having performed as a whole at the London o2, Liverpool Echo Arena, Wembley Arena, Hammersmith Apollo, Birmingham NEC and the Royal Albert Hall.